Production of long stable electric arcs.



0. SGHfiNHERR 6; J. HESSBERGBR. PRODUCTION OF LONG STABLE ELECTRIC ARCS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1906.

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O. SUHGNHERR & J. HESSBERGER.

PRODUCTION OF LONG STABLE ELECTRIC ARCS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16,1906.

930,238. Patented Aug. 3. 1909.

Z SHEETS-$111281 2,

WITNESSES: INVENTORS ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATEn'T OFFICE OTTO S GHONHERR AND JOHANNES HESSBERGER, OF LUDWIGS HAFEN-O N THE-RHINE, GER- MANY, ASSIGNOBS TO BADISGHE AN'ILI'N d: SODA FABBIK, OF LUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE- RHINE, GERMANY, A CORPORATION.

rnonoorron or LONG STABLE nLEc'rmc ms.

.. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug 3, 1909.

Application filed March 18, 1-906. Serial No, 306,410.

stable electric arcs of exceptional length can be produced by but moderately high electromo'tivc forces. f

In carrying out this invention, an electrode, connected with one pole of a source of electricity, is.inserted in a tube, .or'passage, at, or toward, one end thereof, and is insulated therefrom and the other pole ,of the source of electricity is connected with the tube, or passage, itself, or with a special electrode, at. or toward, the other end of the said tube, or passage, and a current of air, or other gas, is passed through the said tube, or passage, ,with such velocity that a long and steadily burning electric arc is produced and maintained.

The following description and examples will further explain the nature of our in vention and how it can be performed, but it tricity, and a quick current. of air, or other gas, is blown through the tube, preferably with a whirling motion, commencing at the end at which the aforcmcntioncd electrode is inserted. The whirling motion may be obtained by blowing the air into the tube tangentially. In this way, for instance, with an elcctromotive force of only a few thousand volts an arc can be obtained as much as three yards long and burning steadily in the axis of the tube. As soon as the arc burns steadily, the quickly roving air, or other gas, prevents the are from springing atom-c to the side and thus passing into the walls ofthe tube, this taking place at a distnncer of several yards from the electrode.

'lfconven-ient, the arc can be directed against another special electrode which may be cooled by Water for instance, ,in' the tube, and in this case thetube onl acts provisionally as an electrode, althoug.

it may subsejg ently remain. electrically connected with mother pole of the source of electricity. 'When this arrangement is employed, the electric are, as it is first'formed, springs frdm' the first electrode ,hnd terminotes in an adjacent part of thei wall of the tube, the termination is, however, driven forward along the wall of the tube by means of the current of air, or other gas, until it. reaches the second electrode. When this point is reached, the electric arcburns quietly in the axis of the tube, starting from the center of the first electrode and terminoting at the second electrode.

special second electrode cooled as aforesaid, but at any part of the wall of the tube, it is preferred tocool that part of the wall by means of a water-jacket, or in other convenient way, in order to prevent overheating. If desired, the tube can be formed'of non-conducting m'a'terial, and thus notact as an electrode, and means of creating the are be provided; for instance, the second electrode I can be arranged so that it canbe moved toward, and withdrawn from, the first electrode; or a conductor" maybe introduced into the tube along the wall thereof, this conductor being preferably a small tube second elecitself is formed of conducting materials," 7

In carrying out our invention it is 'n bt essential that the air, or other-gas, pass the first electrode, as it may be introduced at a point between the two electrodes striking the wall of the tube while the arc is in operation. Thiscan be effected for and which is placed When the electric arc terminates not at a through which water passes for the purpose trode in a manner similar to that which is, followed as described above when the-.tuhe

PTO: vided that means be employed for reventi." ing the discharge from the first e ectrodo instance oy sullicicntly incrcasin the dis tannbetween the elcclrmlc and t 1c wall of the tube at the part between the first elec-' trode and the place where the air, or other gas, is admitted, or by placing insulating material between the electrode and the tube at such part. For the pur Jose of starting the electric arc, the first e ectrode can be pushed forward until the air, or other gas, )asscs it, in which case the discharge at irst takes place between the side of the electrode and the wall of the tube, but is driven forward by the air, or other gas, and as soon as the are is burning steadily in the middle ol' the tube, the said electrode can be drawn' back until the air, or otlig' gas, no longer passes it. Another method of starting the electric are, when the first electrode'rcmains ptirn'ianently outside the current of air, or other as, consists in bringing the second electr'o e toward, and then withdrawing it from, the first electrode.

Referring to the accompanying drawin Figure 1 is a diagram to illustrate purel diagrammatically one of the simplest methods of carrying out the invention. represents a convenient form of first 0 cctrode in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a form of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 1-2, and Fig; 5 is a cross-section on the line 3-4 of the a aratus shown in Fig, 3. Fig. 1 is a. mo 1- Ecation of Fig. 1, s owing the means for creating the are if the tube consists of nonconducting material. The electrode 1) can be moved down to touch the electrode 0 and subsequently ,n1oved up to the position shown by the dotted marks. Fig. 3 is a modification of Fig. 3 showing the upper part of this figure only. In this mod1fication instead of one tube YZ, three tubes YZ are shown and instead of the strai ht tube H surrounding YZ there is a sing e chain ber H.

AB-represents the tube inside which the electric arc is produced. C is the first electrode, which is insulated from the tube and connected to the pole of the source of electricity G, the other pole thereof being connected' to the second electrode D which isnot insulated from the tube AB. The arrows indicate the direction in which air, or other gas, which is admitted at 0., passes through the tube AB and, leaves at 7).

Fig. 2 represents in vertical section a convenientform of the first electrode from wvhich the electric arc springs. The said electrode is insulated from the'tuber AB lay means of the insulating material EE. 2 represents the head of the electrode C, and C is a rod of conducting material lon iturlinally movable relativel to the rest- 0 the electrode, so that the said rod C can, as it wears away, he pushed forward either by hand, or ant-(artistically by machinery. The

electrode itself is hollow and a part of the air, or other gas, entering at 0, passes through it in the direction indicated by the arrows, for the purpose of cooling the electrode, F F representing openings for the alr, or other gas, to enter, and leave, the said electrode.

Fig. 3 represents a form of a paratus in which the heat generated and which is taken up by the air, or other gas, is used to heat the air, or other gas, before it enters the reaction tube AB, in which-the electric arc is formed. This tube/AB is connected by the connection X with another tube YZ wh ch leads through. the outlet Z to an absorber. Each of the tubes AB and YZ is shown surroimded by. an outer tube H and these'and also the passage X are covered on the outside with material I which is a bad conductor. of heat. The air, or other gas,

enters at c and is driven in the direction shown b the arrows, assin first u the space d etween the tu es Z and and then by the pipe 0 into the space f between the tubes AB and H, cooling the inner tubes and taking up, heat itself and then entering the reaction tube AB by the openings 9 near the first electrode.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 1.2. of Fig. 3 showing how the inlet ipe is fixed tangentially to the outer tube 1-? so that the air, oriother gas, is driven around the inner tube ahd exercises a better coolin effect.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the his 3.4. of Fi 3 representing a form of inlet 0 coin g or air, or other gas, into the reaction tu e AB so that the air, or other gas, has in the said reaction tube the whirling motion which is advantageous for the urpose of producin lon arcs. Instead of the sin 1e outlet 'tu Y a. bundle of tubes may e substitutd each of which is subjected to the cooling action of the air, or other gas, which enters the ap aratus so that the total coolin and pro eatin effect is larger than w en only the sing e tube YZ is em loyed.

If desired, the heat contained b t e air, or other gas, may be utilized in ot or ways, for instance it ma be utilized in. evaporating solutions of nitrates andnitrites which have been obtained from atmospheric nitrogen by the process according to'our present invention, when air is the gas treated, and

used to maintain the long are as aforesaid.

'Arcs produced according to our inventionillustrated in the accompanying dmwipiilfil,

since they are eiaimsd in a separate a cation Serial No. ice-sec, filed F et-ember 2 5 i is. The process of producing endothermic 1908, which has been divided out from the reaction in gas 'WlllCll consists in sub ecting presents plication. Ntw w at we claim is:

'1.- The process of producing a long stable electiiic discharge which consists in stretch in the discharge from one terminal alon si e another by means of a current. of link.

2. The process of rod ucing a long stable electric discharge w ich consists'in forcing one part of the discharge away from the other by a current of fluid directed along- Side. one of the terminals.

3a The process of producing a long electrio discharge which consists in stretchin the dischar e by a current of fluid directed parallel wit the body of the discharge.

.4. The process of producing a long electrio. discharge which consists in stretching the same by a fluid current. directed against one end thereof,

5. process of drawing out an electric discharge which consists in forcing a. gaseone en'uelop between it and an inclosing ter.--

minal.

6. The process of drawing out an electric dischar e which consists in forcing a gaseousv wminah 7.. process of maintaining along elec v I u'n, 'u I v n .tri 3 flhlch consists in maintainni an enve 0- l ng current of fluid as a s ield 'ag lateral-escape- 8. he process of maintaining a long electric arc which consists in malntaining an enveloping rotating current. of fluid as a shield. against lateral escape.

9. The process of maintaining :1 ion electric aroheside a conductor tube whic consists in maintaining an incloscd separating ctn'rentzof-fiuid as a shield between the arc and eoncluctor.

10.; The improvement in the electrical production of endothermic neaction in gas which consists in maintaining an electrical discharge longitudinally in a current of the gas by the drawing out tendency of the gas itself.

11. The improvement in the electrical production of endothermic reaction "in gas which consists in maintaining a. current of the gas between an electric discharge and a side by side conductor.

12.. The improvement in the electrical production of endothermic reaction in '.gas which; consists'in forcing anenvelop oi the gas between the discharge and a narrowly inclosin-Q; terminal.

13. The improvement in the electrical production of endothermic reaction in gas which consists in maintaining a current of the gas betw n antclectric discharge and a side by sidfi conductor and prelimii-iarily hunting the gas from the opposite side of said conductor.

between it and a side by side terthe gas to the influence of an are drawn out by an enveloping current of said gas.

15. The improvement in the production of ent'lothormic action in a current of gas by an electrical discharge longitudinally in said current which consists in prolongin the ac tion; by causing the current to lengtlien said dischar e.

16. T he process of maintaining a long electricurc by means of a current of gas.

17. The process of producing and maintaining a long stable electric arc in a tube by causing an are between an insulated electrode and .a conductor which are at. first passes to the conductor near to the insulated electrode to travel. up the tube and to be maintained when the arc is at the required length by passing a current of gas into the tube substantially-as described.

- 18. The process of producing and maintaining a lon stable electric arc in a conducting tube by'causin an are between an insulated electrode on a conducting tube which are at first passes to the wall of the tube near to the insulated electrode to travel up the tube and to be maintained when the are is atthe required length by passing a current of gas into the tube substantially as described.

19. The process of producing and main tnining a lon stable electric arc in h conducting tube y causing an are between an insulated electrode and a conducting tube which arc at first passes to the wall of the tube near to the insulated electrode to travel up the tube d to be maintained when the arcis at. th required length by passing a current of air into the tube substantially as described. i i

20. The J a'occss of producing a lon stable electric are by means of an olectroe, connectcd with one pole of a source of electricity and inside and fnsulated from a tube or passage connected to the other pole of the said source of electricity by passing it current of gas through the sait tube or passage with such velocity that a long are is produccd and maintained substantially as described.

21. The process of producing a lon. stable electric are by means of an electro eJconnccted with. one pole of a source of electricity and inside and insulated from'a tube or passage-connected to the other pole of the said source of electricity b passing :1 current of' air through the sai tube or passage with such velocity that a. long; are is produced and umintai'ned substantially as described. i

22. The process of. producing a long stable electric are between an. electrode connected with one ole of a sonrqeofolectzicity and inside am insulated from a tube or passage &

having at or toward its other coda second electrode connected to the other pole of the said source of electricity and the said second electrode by passing a current of air through the said tube or passage with such velocity that a lon arc is produced and maintained substnintia y as described.

An apparatus of the kind described comprising a long tube, an electrode inserted into the tube at one end portion thereof another electrode or pole at the other end portion of said tube and a blast passage for the tube. 1 l

24. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a long tube an electrode inserted into the tube atone end portion thereof and insulated therefrom another elect rude or pole electrically connected with the other end portion of said tube and one or more pas-- sages or entrances for allowing a blast to be passed throughthe tube in the direction from the insu ated electrode.

25. An apparatus of the kind described comprisin a tube combined with poles or sources oelectricity and -mcans for ore-ab ing a blast in said tube and placed in such a manner as to impart a whirling motion to the blast.

26. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a tube combined with poles or electrodes One of which is insulated from said tube and a passage or openings for alllowing a blast through said tube and placed tangentially or at such angle as to create a whirling blast.

27. 'An apparatus of the kind described comprising a.tube poles connected with a source of'electricit means for cooling one of the poles and .conncctionsto lead to a r I blast generator.

28. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a tube a cooling jacket for the tube e-lectrodesconnected respectively to opposite portions of the tube and a blast conncction for the tube. 4

29.4 An apparatus of the kind described comprising atube an olfactroddinserted into the -tubc atone end portion thereof another.

electrode or pole at theother end ortion passage for t \e tube electrodes being movable or ad justable.

30. An apparatm of the kind; described comprising a tube having an insulated'e'ntrance at one end ortion an electrode insorted throu h sai insulation a non insulated. 'elcctro e at the o posits e .3 portion of the tube and lateral b ast openings.

81. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a roar tion tube, means'ior formin an electric arc in said tube, a second tn e having a connection loadin sorbetand also being connec' with the first tube, a pmuge about both tubes to an aband a communication from the blast pausngc to the interior of the reaction tube.

32. An apparatus of the kinddcscribed comprising a reaction tube with internal are forming means, a tube having a connection leading to an absorber the said tube also communicating with the first tube a bloat tubc surroundin and s iaccd from the two first named to es and a communication from the interior of the blast tube to the tctlol of the reaction tube.

33. An apparatus of the kind described comprisimr a reaction tube with ii'it'ernat are forming means, a tube having a corm--.;:tion loading to an absorber the said tube also communicating with the first tube 12 blast tubc surrounding and sword from the two first named tubes and a communication from the interior of the blast tube to the interior of the reaction tube said blast tube be ing covered by heat retainiu substance.

34. An apparatus otthe rind described comprising areaction tube with internal are forming means a tube or pluralit of tubes havin g a connection leading to an absorber a connection for uniting the interiors of the two tubes, a blast tube sections of which res ectivelj, surround the reaction tube and a sorber tube aheat retainer about. the rcaction and absorber tubes and their connection and a copinunication between the blast tube and the Interior of the absorber tube.

35. A wparatus for the production of long stable e ectric arcs consisting of 'a tube or furnace containing an electrode connected with one pole of a source of electricity and insulated. from the said tube another elcc trode at or near the other end of the said tube connected irith the other pole of the said source of electricity means for introdufcr ing a current of "as into the said tube near the first nained electrode and for romovin the gas treated at or near'the other end 0 the tubc'all substantially as described.

36. Apparatus f0r the production of long stable e. ctric arcs consisting of, a conducting tube or furnace containing an electrode connected with one pole of a source of electricity insulated from the said tube bein connccted with the other pole of the uni source of electricity ncansfor admitting :a current of as into the tube or furnace near the said c ectrode and for removin I the treated gas at the other end of'the to c or furnace substantially as described. 87. A paratus for the production of long stable e ectric arcs consisting of a. tube or furnace containing an electrode connected with one pole of a source of electricity insulated from the said tube and. another 6190-. trade at or near the other end of the said tubeconnected with the other pole of the said source of electricity and all-outer tube inclosing the said tube or furnacemeans f or ice -llfi stable e admitting gas into the said outer tube and irmg: era-id miter tiibehate the iener tube near the first electrode and for remdvin the treated gas at the other end of the tu or furnace all substantially as described. 38. Alpparatus forthe production of long ectric arcs in a conducting tube or jurnace containing an electrode connected with one pole of a source'of electricity, in-

sulated from-the said tube the said tube, beingconnetecLwith the other pole of the said Tfsource of electricity means for admitting a eurrent bf v the-said "e eetrcde and an outer iIfs into the tube or furnace near closing the said tube or furnace means for Y edmittieg gee 1m the said outer Tube and from the said outerv tube into the inner tube near the electrode and for removin the treated gas at the other end of the tu e or furnace substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

I 1 OTTO SOHONHERR.

'JOHANNES HESSBERGER. Witnesses:

ljAmw. LLOYD, J03. H. LEUTE 

